So This Is A Family
by saracommitted
Summary: GSR 'Not all families end up like this Dani, ours is just a little different,' she said with tears in her eyes. Book Three in the Find Her Series.
1. Metaphorical Recoil

**Title:** So This Is A Family.

**Pairing:** Grissom/Sara.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own CSI, nor do I own the characters on CSI. I use them to speak the ideas that float around my brain. My own characters, that I have made up, I get to own. Cause I'm cool and get to own people.

**Summary:** "Not all families end up like this Dani, ours is just a little different," she said with tears in her eyes. Book Three in the Find Her Series.

Chapter One;

Metaphorical Recoil

Dani was sitting on the couch in the living room part of the apartment, she leaned her head back onto Adam's shoulder. He leaned his head back onto the couch. Lindsay was sitting in the chair adjacent to the couch, with her head leaned back. All three of them were bored. It was Sunday, and they had to go to school the next day, and they didn't know how to spend the rest of their weekend.

Lindsay sighed, "We could… I don't know." Dani lifted her head to give her a simple, slightly offensive, but purely joking look. Lindsay picked up a piece of her hair and started to braid it. "We could do each other's hair," she said and laughed.

Dani lifted her head again, "Actually, that's not a bad idea…"

--

Twenty minutes later, Dani was fixing Adam's pigtails. She laughed as she tightened one of the elastics and he winced a little. They were in Dani's bedroom, where her hair stuff was. Lindsay got up from sitting on the bed, and looked at Dani's dresser. She picked up some lip-gloss and turned to Adam. He immediately saw what she was thinking and started shaking his head.

"No way! I let you do my hair, but make-up is too far!" Adam complained. Dani looked up at Lindsay and shook her head. The hair was torture enough; make-up would come another day.

--

A half an hour later, the three friends were sitting on the couch again. Adam's pigtails were no longer there, but he had a weird curl to his hair now that Dani kept playing with. All three of them sighed at the same time, and they looked at each other, then found it to be not that uncommon, and went back to being bored.

A few minutes later, Sara walked into the apartment. She slipped off her shoes, and went into the kitchen. She got out some things from the freezer for dinner and then went into the living room/space. She noticed the curl in Adam's hair.

"Since when is your hair curly?" Sara asked.

Adam tried to think of a comeback, but he was too slow and Lindsay spoke before him. "We put pigtails in his hair," Lindsay said and laughed. Sara rolled her eyes and left the room.

--

Sara walked into her bedroom to see Grissom asleep. She sat on the edge of the bed, and put her hand on top of his. Gil rustled a bit, and squeezed Sara's hand. His eyes opened and he stared up at her. Sara let out a little smile.

"So you caught the suspect?" Grissom asked, judging her smile.

"Yeah, sitting in a patrol car and getting overtime paid off," Sara said happily. It was about a case that had seemed to be getting almost nowhere for the longest time, then finally the smallest piece of evidence lead them to their killer.

Gil nodded lightly, "Good."

"I got some dinner out of the freezer, so it'll be ready in twenty minutes," Sara said.

Grissom nodded and kissed her hand, "Okay." Sara smiled and left the room. She went into the kitchen and put the food in the oven. She walked over to the three bored kids in her living room and sighed.

"Done your homework?" She asked to all of them, but Dani in particular.

"Yeah, we worked on that together yesterday, remember?" Dani asked rhetorically. Sara nodded and rolled her eyes.

"Well, dinner's going to be ready soon," she informed them.

Adam looked at the clock on the microwave in the kitchen, "I have to go," he said to them.

Lindsay lifted her head up, and looked at the clock too, "Yeah, same here."

They both got up from the couch and slipped on their shoes. They waved to Dani, assuring her they'd see her at school tomorrow before leaving. Dani got up from the couch and looked at the schedule on the fridge and saw that neither Grissom nor Sara worked that night. She smiled to herself, feeling safe.

Sara walked quietly and carefully to where she was leaning over Dani's shoulder, trying to see the world through Dani's eyes. She remained there for a moment in silence. Then Dani turned around, jumped and gave out a little scream.

"What are you doing?!" Dani asked after her breathing went back to normal.

Sara smiled, "Seeing what you were looking at," she answered.

Dani sighed, "The schedule, what else?" She asked with attitude.

Sara shrugged, then she turned and went back to preparing dinner. Dani left the room, with her hand on her heart, feeling how fast it was going. She noticed how over-scared she was of everything, but she didn't want Sara to worry over it, she could handle it on her own, it was nothing…


	2. Chris

Chapter Two ;

Chris

Sara stared at the computer screen, with her hand supporting her head which felt like it was about to fall onto the table she was sitting at. She watched the different prints in AFIS compare to the one she had lifted from a doorknob. She had been sitting there for hours, hoping to be there when one of the prints matched the one she had collected at the crime scene. She hoped that they could catch their child molester and murderer as soon as possible, which was why she was staring at the screen.

Grissom walked into the room and observed what was before him. He sighed, knowing that Sara had been sitting there for a long time. He was hesitant to put her on the case, because it had involved a child. Since Dani had been kidnapped, Sara had been especially involved with cases involving children, but Grissom knew that just avoiding the problem wouldn't make it go away. He hoped that the more Sara worked on children's cases, the more she would learn to not get too emotional when she was on them.

As Grissom watched Sara stare at the computer screen, he knew that so far, he was wrong. He stood over her shoulder, and placed a comforting hand on her back. Sara looked up at him, noticing he was there. She showed a little smile to him, and turned back to sulking to the computer screen.

"There were no DNA hits in CODIS," Grissom informed her. Sara wasn't surprised, but it did worsen her job, the little hope in her was gone. Their child molester and murderer was most likely not in AFIS, and Sara had just wasted hours of work.

--

After shift, Sara was sitting in Grissom's car, while he was driving home. She stared out the window, with her arms crossed and head leaning on the glass. They hadn't solved the case yet, and it was bugging her.

Grissom wasn't oblivious to Sara's emotions, but he didn't want to talk about them right now, he would wait until later. She seemed like she was going to yell at the next person that spoke to her. Grissom pulled into the parking lot, and kissed Sara's cheek before getting out of the car. Sara got out of the car, and walked to the apartment with Grissom's arm around her waist. Grissom opened the apartment door with his key, and looked around the dark apartment.

Sara went to Dani's room, and found her on the computer. She went over and gave Dani a hug, nearly losing her composure and breaking down right there. Dani turned and hugged Sara back, she knew something was wrong, because Sara hadn't said anything yet. Usually she would have already said something like 'Did you sleep well?' or 'How was your night?' or 'Have you eaten breakfast yet?'

Once Sara had fought the tears away, and knew they would be gone, for at least a while, Sara released Dani. "Have you eaten breakfast?" She asked. Dani nodded. "Okay, are you ready?" Sara asked.

"Almost," Dani answered.

Sara nodded, "Okay, don't spend too much time on the computer," she said and left the room. She walked into the living room to find Grissom sitting on the couch, eating an orange. Sara sat beside him, particularly involved in her thoughts. Grissom offered her a piece of the orange, but Sara shook her head.

"Dani was reading monologues," Sara said in an informative tone of voice. Grissom finished chewing a piece of orange, then looked at her.

"She likes to read," Grissom said.

"I mean, she was looking for a monologue," Sara said. "The site had over a million monologues on it."

"It could be for Drama class," Grissom suggested. He was challenging Sara, and she knew it.

"She doesn't have Drama this semester," Sara said and smiled. Grissom stopped chewing with another piece of orange in his mouth. He stared off in the distance for a moment, processing his thoughts and figuring out that there weren't many explanations for it.

"That's odd," He finally came out with. Sara nodded with a smile, as he agreed with her.

--

Two weeks later, Dani came home with Adam, and another boy. Sara was watching a show on TV, and Grissom was sitting beside her, reading. Dani walked into the apartment and smiled at them.

"Can Adam and Chris come in?" Dani asked.

"Who's Chris?" Sara and Grissom asked at the same time. Chris and Adam walked into the apartment, and Chris gave a little wave.

"Him," Dani said and shrugged. She smiled, "I have news."

Adam, Chris and Dani took a seat in the living room part of the apartment. Grissom's eyebrow went up, eager to hear what Dani had to say.

"Well, last week I tried out for a school play, and I'm in it," Dani said with a big smile on her face.

"In it? You're the main character!" Adam said.

"No, Chris is," Dani argued.

"Yeah, but you're in it more than he is, only half of his face is in it for most of the play," Adam said.

Sara and Grissom exchanged confused looks. "What play is it?" Grissom finally asked.

Dani looked over at Chris and nodded, then they both sang, "The Phaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaantom of the Opera," then they both laughed.

Sara's eyes went wide, "Really?" She asked with excitement. Dani nodded.

"Chris is the phantom, I play Christine and Adam is Raoul," Dani said.

"You're doing a musical?" Grissom asked. The three kids nodded.

"We're going to go through lines, and stuff," Dani said and the three left the living room and went into Dani's room. Sara turned to Grissom, stunned.

"Can you imagine Dani singing, dancing and acting?" Grissom asked.

Sara thought of it for a moment, "Actually, yeah I can."


	3. A New Friendship

Chapter Three ;

A New Friendship

"_Sara, you've looked at that evidence at least ten times," Grissom said softly. He walked into the evidence room and stood beside Sara. _

"_This case is getting nowhere, and he's going to strike again," Sara protested. She knew that he wanted her to let the case go, and to put it in the un-solved pile along with countless others. _

"_When he does, we'll have new evidence," Grissom said. "Unfortunately, you have to look at it that way," he knew they weren't doing the body justice. Grissom's cell phone started to beep, and Sara looked at him. He took it out, it was a message from Brass, 'DB in Desert'. _

_Somehow, Sara knew it was their guy. She quickly put the evidence away and then followed Grissom to his car, where they drove to the desert. There were a few police officers with cars with flashing lights, there was no crowd around the body. _

_As Sara walked up to it, she wanted to puke. _

"_No!" She screamed. Dani laid there, lifeless, her panties around her ankles, her skirt ruffled. Dani had been his next victim. _

Sara woke up in a cold sweat. Dani was kneeling beside her, looking scared and confused. Grissom was on the other side of her, also looking scared. It was quiet for a moment.

"Sara, are you okay?" Dani asked in a weak voice. It sounded like she was on the verge of tears. Sara took a breath.

"Yes, I… I'll be fine," Sara answered.

Grissom looked at the worried Dani, "You should go back to bed now," he said to her softly, to keep the mood gentle. Dani nodded and left the room.

Sara sat up, tears in her eyes. Her dream was so real, too real. Gil sat up and hugged her. Sara started crying into his chest, she didn't want to re-live Dani being kidnapped. It was painful enough the first time, again would be too much.

--

The next morning Dani woke up and rolled over to see her clock, it read 6:56. She laid in her bed for a few minutes, then sat up. She got her script from her desk and started reading it. She was so excited to be in the play, she had always loved acting and singing and dancing, but had never got the chance to show anyone.

The Phantom of the Opera compelled her. The cast had watched the movie during a rehearsal one day. She loved the story, and she loved the character she got to play. What Dani couldn't believe was that she was playing a character that two boys were fighting over, so wouldn't the director want a prettier person to play her?

Dani heard someone getting up from Sara and Grissom's room. She listened to the footsteps, and knew it was Grissom. She listened to him walk out into the living room. Dani got up from her bed and sat at her desk. She turned her computer on and signed onto MSN. As soon as she signed on, Chris started talking to her. She was surprised that he was on, sometimes Adam would be online at this time of the morning, and that was what she had expected, not Chris.

Chris says: Hello.

Dani says: Hi.

Chris says: What's up?

Dani says: Nothing, just woke up, what about you?

Chris says: You're up early.

Dani says: Yeah, I tend to wake up early.

Chris says: Well, the director said that we should get to know each other, so that our characters are believable and we're comfortable with each other, so do you want to hang out today?

Dani says: Well with that very detailed explanation, I don't see why not. Want me to call Adam?

Chris says: Well… I think we should just hang out.

Dani says: But he's in the play too.

Chris says: I know, but, well, we'll get more done if he's not there.

Dani sighed. She had never really spent time with anyone other than Adam outside of school. Well, she had spent time with Lindsay, but Adam had been there. She had spent time with Chris, but Adam had been there.

Dani says: True. I bought the CD, so we can practice singing and hitting the notes.

Chris says: You do know we don't have to sing opera, right?

Dani says: Yes, I know, but we still have to hit the right notes. I have to go eat breakfast.

Chris says: Okay, call me sometime today.

Dani says: Okay, bye.

Dani has signed off.

Dani sat back and sighed. She didn't feel right leaving Adam out of her plans, but it wasn't something unheard of. She knew that people had more friends than one. Dani got up from her desk and went out into the living room. Grissom was watching a documentary on TV about cockroaches.

"Nerd," Dani commented as she sat down beside him. She gave a little giggle. Grissom gave her a little pursed lipped smile. Sara came out from the hallway and sat down beside Dani, and immediately gave her a hug. Sara hugged her tight, as if the world could crash around them but they would still be safe.

"What would you like for breakfast?" Sara asked in a light and weak voice. The breaks between words told Dani that she had been crying. She decided not to ask her about it, although she was extremely curious to find out what had been bothering her sister.

Dani shrugged, "Doesn't matter, cereal?"

Sara nodded and got up from the couch. She went out into the kitchen and got out three bowls. She looked in a cupboard and found a box of cheerios, she poured the cereal and milk into the bowls and set them on the island. Dani and Grissom moved from the couch and sat on two of the stools that surrounded the island in the kitchen. Sara washed her hands and sat down at another stool. For a few minutes, the family was quiet, then Dani decided to speak.

"Can Chris come over today, we're going to work on the songs for the play," Dani said, looking over at Sara.

"Is Adam coming too?" Sara asked.

"Well, he doesn't sing with Chris, so I doubt it," Dani said, realizing she hadn't completely convinced herself yet. She said 'doubt', meaning it wasn't for sure, but Chris had seemed very sure.

"Okay," Sara said and nodded. Then the silence set in again.


	4. Crashing Lightning

Chapter Four ;

Crashing Lightning

"No, that note is higher," Dani said to Chris. They were sitting in the living room. Sara was in the kitchen, pretending that she wasn't listening, but Dani knew that she was. Dani pressed PLAY on the CD player and played the song that Chris and her were working on again. "See?" She asked him.

Chris nodded. Dani had been surprised that he was working really hard on this. She had expected him to slack off, she had seen him at school and talked to him quite a bit, and he seemed like the type to do so. Her judgment had been wrong. "Sing once again with me," Chris sang.

"A little higher," Dani said and laughed. Chris pursed his lips to the side, as if to be offended.

"Sing once-"

"Too high," Dani cut in. Sara turned to look at the two and laughed. Dani looked up at her sister with a smile on her face. "What?" She asked and gave a little half-laugh.

"Nothing," Sara said, still giggling a little. Grissom walked into the room and immediately felt the mood; he knew he had missed some sort of joke.

Half an hour later, the two knew the song perfectly. Dani fell back onto the couch, tired out from singing so much. Chris was packing his lyrics and stuff together, getting ready to leave. He stood up and put his shoes on.

"Do we have to dress in costume tomorrow for poster pictures?" Chris asked before leaving.

Dani sat up, "Yeah, then we have rehearsal," she answered. Chris nodded and left the apartment. When Dani looked up at Sara, she was staring back and giving her a somewhat of a questioning look. Dani wondered what she wanted to know. She raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Sara shrugged. "Dinner's ready." Dani knew there was something that Sara wanted to ask, something more than 'Dinner's ready', but Dani didn't bother to question it, she somewhat did not want to know what it was.

--

Later that night, Dani was sitting on her bed in her room reading a book. She looked over at the clock; it beamed 9:39. She looked back down at the book and flipped the page. There was a brief knock at her door before it opened and Sara's figure let itself into Dani's room. She sat down on the bed, next to where Dani was sitting.

Dani looked up and saw the same questioning look in her eye. Now it was bugging Dani. Her curiosity got the better of her something, and she stared back at Sara, demanding answers.

But Sara wasn't going to give them.

She kissed Dani on the forehead before getting up. "Goodnight sweetheart," she said softly. Dani smiled up at her before Sara left the room.

Dani put the book down on her desk and jumped as she heard a loud crash of thunder. She felt her heart rate jump, and sighed. She got up and walked out into the hall, then through the hall to the living room, where Sara was sitting in a chair, watching the lightning strike. Dani sat in the chair across from Sara and stared out at Las Vegas, watching bolts of lightning flash from the clouds to the earth. It was pretty to watch.

"I've always liked watching lightning storms," Sara commented, breaking the silence. Dani watched another bolt of lightning slam itself to the ground, then turned her head towards Sara.

"They are nice," She replied with a little smile, but it was a lie. Dani hated thunderstorms, she was dead scared of them. She had to be near someone during them, otherwise she would turn into a frightened, paranoid kid hiding in her closet, crying, and begging for it to stop. She turned her head back to the window and returned to watching the storm.


	5. She's Traumatized

Someone asked if Sara was Dani's sister or mother. Well, she is Dani's half-sister, but Sara tends to act like a mother to her because of their age difference. : )

Chapter Five ; 

She's Traumatized

Dani looked down at herself and laughed. Lindsey Willows, who was standing in front of her, laughed too. The dress that Dani was wearing was very poufy and frilly. Chris walked up to the two with his costume on, complete with mask covering half of his face and cape. He started laughing hysterically, seeing Dani in a dress. She wasn't the type to see in one.

Dani slapped his arm, and pursed her lips to the side. "Nice mask," she said as an insult. He raised an eyebrow at her, it wasn't really an insult, because his mask looked cool. A photographer and the director came into the room, which was the drama classroom. The director smiled at the two, Dani and Chris, seeing that they were in their Christine and Phantom costumes.

"They look lovely!" She said and showed a big smile. "We're taking the pictures on the stage, since we already have some of the set ready." Dani and Chris followed the director and photographer out of the drama room and into the auditorium, and onto the stage. The director looked around the stage, muttering a few things to herself. "How about beside this pillar?" She asked, walking over to it.

The photographer nodded, "I think it would provide a nice background." He turned to Chris and Dani. "We want your input too, what do you think?"

"Sure, it sounds good," Dani answered quietly and smiled. She was shy around people most of the time. Dani and Chris walked up the stage to where the pillar was and stood there for a moment.

"So, what should we do?" Chris asked. The director thought for a moment, taking the play into context.

"Well, the Phantom of the Opera is passionate, but longing, it doesn't give easily and is mature," the director said, thinking out loud. Chris put his hands lightly on Dani's shoulders, his head looking over her shoulder at her. Dani's head was slightly turned towards him, staring at his eyes. The director became excited, liking the look of the two as the characters. The photographer took the picture.

"Try spreading out and holding hands, but remember, it is mature, and passionate," The director said. Dani stood slightly off to the right of the stage, Chris stood a meter away from her, and slightly to the left of the stage. Dani held her hand out, and Chris took it gently. Dani looked over at Chris, her head turned only slightly. Chris' head was also turned slightly towards Dani. The photographer took a picture of the pose.

Then Chris stood behind Dani. He laid his hands on the front of her hips. Dani put her hands over top of Chris' hands, then leaned her head back onto his shoulder. Chris turned his head slightly, so that he was looking at Dani. The director clapped, she could feel that the two characters had chemistry, which would make the play more effective. The photographer took the picture, then a few more individual shots.

The four walked into the drama room, and the cast begged to see the pictures. The photographer showed the pictures to the cast, who could also see the chemistry between the two characters. They suited the roles, and you could tell.

"Okay, now we have to start rehearsal," The director said loudly, pulling the group back on track. "We're working on the choreography and dances today!"

--

Dani opened the door to the apartment and put her backpack down. She slipped off her shoes and looked around the empty apartment. There was a note on the kitchen counter left for her.

_Dear Dani,_

_I got called into the lab, Grissom needed all available CSI's go to help with a big case. Grissom still has a normal shift, but I don't know when I'll be home. I'll call before 10. If you need anything call either mine or Grissom's cell. _

_Love Sara. _

Dani put the note down and sighed. She wasn't exactly a fan of Sara or Grissom being called in when they had the night off. Although she had been assured that no one would be able to get into their apartment, Dani still had nightmares of someone breaking in and kidnapping her again. Only, usually, the nightmares did not end in her being rescued. She had thought about it countless times, she had been kidnapped already twice in her life, and had been miraculously rescued both times. How many times can someone be lucky enough to survive being victimized that many times?

Grissom showed an expression that was hard and strong whenever Dani asked about it. She always wondered what would happen if someone broke in again. She would always have the fear, the paranoia of it happening again.

It had traumatized her, but she was lucky to only suffer this much damage.

Grissom had always assured her that it was unlikely it would happen again. The locks were changed and were now stronger. Also, Grissom and Sara had made an extra attempt for at least one of them to be home during the night, but they couldn't win all the time. Tonight was an example.

Sara was different. She had tried to be strong and agree with Grissom that it wouldn't happen again, but she shared the same fear. She knew very well that it could happen again. But Sara wasn't allowed to let her fear show, she had to protect her sister, and comfort her. The truth would always be there, it would always be known, but it would be unspoken.

Dani made herself a sandwich and sat at the island in the kitchen while she ate it. She thought of inviting Adam over, but he had seemed somewhat upset at rehearsal. She decided that she wouldn't, simply because she thought talking about the problem already would seem to quick. Maybe she could call him, talk for a while, so she would feel so alone.

Dani put her plate in the sink and grabbed the phone off the kitchen counter. She sat down in one of the chairs in the living room and stared at the phone for a while. She was second-guessing herself. After a few moments, Dani put the phone down, the peaceful loneliness was relaxing, and nice. It left her space to think.

--

"Let me guess, no prints, no fibers, no evidence," Grissom said as he walked into the evidence room. Catherine, Nick, Warrick, Sara and Greg were crowded around the table, looking at different pieces of evidence from a home invasion where a family of four were killed. The kids that lived in the house were both under ten years old.

Nick shook his head, "Absolutely nothing," he said with a slight irritation in his voice. This was one of those cases that tended to bug you, a killer is out there, they have killed four people, and haven't left a trace behind. Grissom cell phone beeped.

"Grissom," he answered, flipping open the cell phone. The team waited, exchanging glances and looking over at Gil every few seconds. "That's not good." Now, the team was curious. "Okay, thank you, bye." He hung up the phone. "The mother was pregnant, that's five dead," Grissom said, answering everyone's questioning looks. Everyone looked down, taking the pain quietly.

Wendy came running into the room, with a wide smile and big eyes, full of excitement. "There was an unknown blood donor in the Father's pool of blood, it didn't match any of the family members, so I ran it through CODIS and got a hit," she explained, her expression still full of excitement. "Phil Lakker."

"I'll call Brass," Grissom said and left the room.


	6. The Play Is About Love

Chapter Six ;

The Play is about Love

Jim Brass stood like a stone as he watched Phil Lakker through the two-sided mirror. Jim was standing in the observation room, while Phill Lakker sat in the interrogation room, looking uneasy. He looked guilty, Jim could read the man's face like a book. Gil stood beside Jim, also observing Phil Lakker closely, as if he was a cocoon about to hatch into a new kind of butterfly.

Sara was standing beside Gil, also observing Phil Lakker, but not as intently. She checked the time on her cell phone, and saw that it was nearing ten o'clock, the time at which she said she would call Dani at. She glanced at Jim, who looked like he was about to strangle someone.

"You both coming in?" Jim asked after a long silence. Grissom and Sara both glanced at each other, and a police officer tapped the door. Jim looked over, and the officer made a small hand gesture to indicate he wanted to talk to Brass. "I'll be right back," Jim said before leaving the room.

"I told Dani I'd call her before ten," Sara told him with a slight apologetic smile. Indirectly, she was asking to skip the interrogation. They probably didn't need her anyway, the guy looked like he was about to break into a million pieces. Grissom thought about it for a moment.

"Okay, call her and watch the interrogation, if it looks like we need help, come in," Gil decided, he glanced behind him and saw that no one was watching, so he kissed Sara's forehead and turned to leave the room, but stopped. He looked back at her. "After you call Dani, could you call Catherine and see if any of them have found anything, we might need more evidence for him to confess." Sara smiled and nodded, then Grissom left the room.

--

Catherine, Nick, Warrick and Greg were at Phil Lakker's apartment, hoping to find anything to justify that he killed the family. Catherine was looking in the bedroom, Greg was looking in the bathroom, and Nick and Warrick were looking around the living part of the apartment. After a while, Catherine's cell phone started ringing.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Have you guys found anything? Grissom said they'll need more evidence to get him to confess," Sara explained.

"I haven't found anything, I don't think anyone else has either…" As soon as the words had left Catherine's mouth, she heard shouting coming from Nick. "Hold that thought, I'll call back," Catherine said to Sara before hanging up. She walked out to where Nick was, in the kitchen. When Catherine looked, Nick was taking pictures of something in a cupboard. He swabbed a large knife, hoping to find the slightest trace of blood on it. He dripped a few drops of alcohol onto the swab, then a few drops of phenolphthalein, then a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. The sample turned a bright pink.

Catherine squatted down and dusted the handle of the knife, immediately finding prints.

"Slam dunk," Catherine said, looking over at Nick. They had blood, they had fingerprints, they had their killer.

--

Dani woke up to the smell of waffles. She laid in her bed for a while, simply enjoying the smell. She got up a few moments later, and walked out into the kitchen, and found Grissom standing at the stove. Sara was sitting in one of the chairs in the living room, reading a newspaper. Dani smiled and gave her a hug.

"Sorry about last night," Sara said with a small frown, "We arrested a killer though." She smiled, letting Dani know that it was for the better.

"It's okay," Dani said quietly and smiled a little. "Smells good," she said, looking over at the stove.

--

Later that day, Dani was sitting in English class. She tapped her pen lightly on the desk, bored with her teacher's lecture on the many types of irony. Her English teacher tended to rant on about almost everything they talked about. A folded up piece of paper was dropped from her shoulder to her lap. Dani glanced down, and saw it was a note from Adam, who sat behind her. She picked up the note and put it on her desk, unfolding it slowly so that the teacher wouldn't notice.

'_I notice that you and Chris are getting along well…' _Adam had wrote on the note. Dani sighed softly, it was probably why Adam had seemed in a bad mood at rehearsal the day before.

'_Yeah, I guess we are. We are the leads in the play, so we probably should know each other, at least a little, right?' _Dani wrote under Adam's writing. She folded the paper slowly. When the teacher wasn't looking, Dani dropped the note onto Adam's desk. She glanced to her right, and noticed a shy girl looking at her, as if she wanted to yell at her in her little goody-two shoes ways. Dani looked back at the teacher and pretended to pay attention.

Adam passed the note back to Dani, and she opened it and read it, _'True, but if you two get too close, then get in a fight or something, it could seriously ruin the play, and the director would hate you.'_ Dani rolled her eyes, she knew why Adam was upset now. She sighed and wrote back. Dani didn't know how to explain it to him. She didn't like Chris as any more than a friend. The pictures Adam had seen of Chris and her in costumes were in character, nothing more.

'_I'm sorry that Chris and I have to act like we have a slight interest in each other when we're in a play about love.'_ Dani wrote furiously and passed it to him. The bell rang and Dani picked up her books as quickly as she could, then walked out of the room as fast as she could.

--

Dani walked into the apartment and slipped off her shoes. She looked in the living room and saw Sara sleeping on the couch. Dani noticed that the TV was on, and figured she had fallen asleep while watching a movie. She put her backpack in her room, and turned on her computer then signed into MSN.

Chris immediately started talking to her.

Chris says: Hey, can I ask you something?

Dani says: Um, yeah, sure.

Chris says: It's a bit personal.

Dani says: Well, I'll choose to answer it when you ask it.

Chris says: It might make our friendship awkward.

Dani says: I've had enough of those for one day.

Chris says: I don't get it.

Dani says: Adam.

Chris says: Actually, he's included into my question.

Dani says: .. Okay..

Chris says: Is there, I dunno, anything between you two?

Dani says: Yeah, we're friends. He's my best friend.

Chris says: Well, you seem to be getting along like lovers at rehearsal the other day.

Dani let her head fall onto the desk. It was like déjà vu. It was like she was talking to Adam again. She lifted her head and sighed, deciding to give him the same answer as she had given to Adam.

Dani says: That is because in this play about love, sometimes a character must act like they are in love with someone. Such as Christine and Raoul, and Christine and the Phantom.

Then Dani signed off, she was sick of talking to boys. They didn't understand anything. Dani went out into the kitchen and grabbed the phone off of the island, then took it to her room. She sat cross-legged on her bed and dialed Lindsey's number.


	7. Is Something Wrong?

I know I've gotten the age mixed up once before. I don't really want to edit it because it was many chapters ago. So, to clarify: Dani is in grade nine, I'm pretty sure her birthday is sometime in either June or July. I can't remember what I set it at, or if I even mentioned it. Most grade nine students, where I live anyway, are fourteen, or fifteen. Dani is only thirteen because she skipped a grade. I believe I said twelve at some point. Sorry!

Chapter Seven ;

Is Something Wrong?

"Hey," Sara said softly as she walked into Dani's bedroom. She smiled gently as she sat on the edge of Dani's bed. The little girl smiled a bit back, then closed her eyes for a brief moment. They fluttered open to see Sara's worried face. Sara shook it off quickly, and returned to a smile. "Feeling any better?" Sara asked.

Dani shrugged lightly. She had stayed home from school because of a headache. Her head was throbbing, which wasn't as bad as in the morning, when her head felt like it had been struck by lightning. She had only told Sara she had a headache, she hadn't said how bad it was.

"A little, not much though," Dani answered weakly. Sara nodded.

"Do you want some soup, or anything?" Sara asked. Dani shook her head a little, but stopped once she felt a sudden head rush. She closed her eyes, and waited for the pain to subside. Sara could tell her sister's head was aching. "Just rest," Sara said and waited for Dani to nod before she left the room.

Sara closed Dani's door quietly and walked to the living room, where Gil was reading a book. She sat beside him, her face expressionless. Gil put the book down, giving her his full attention. Sara didn't speak, it was like Grissom was simply reading her thoughts and understanding. He could tell that Sara was worried, even though Sara had done nothing to indicate it. It was the way she walked, with her arms crossed. It was the way she kept checking on Dani every twenty minutes.

"Sara, she'll be fine," he assured her. He could see that Sara was in pain, it had always pained her to see others in pain. He knew that. Grissom knew that she had felt for Brenda Collins in the case over five years ago. Sara nodded, knowing that Dani would be fine, but she was still worried. Dani had always had headaches. Before her and Adam had been kidnapped, they weren't that bad, nor did they occur that often. Since then, however, it seemed worse, now had been the worst.

"I think something… is wrong," Sara said slowly and sighed softly. Grissom looked at her, slightly confused.

"Like what?" He asked in almost a whisper.

"I don't know," Sara answered, then she got up and walked back to Dani's room, to check if she was asleep.

--

The next day, Dani was feeling completely better. She got up and had a shower, got dressed and went into the kitchen. It was early Saturday, so Gil and Sara were at the lab. She got herself a glass of water, then Sara walked in. She was staring down at a letter with a confused look on her face. She quickly shook it off when she saw Dani was awake.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" She asked.

Dani smiled, "Much better," she answered, her mind was slightly preoccupied with wondering what the letter was about. She knew that Sara wasn't going to bring it up, so she did. "What's that?" She asked simply.

Sara looked down at it, as if she hadn't noticed the letter in her hand. "I don't know yet…" she answered. She looked down at the return address, wondering what it was. Sara put it on the counter and left the kitchen to go to her bedroom. Dani watched Sara walk away, then hopped down from the stool she was sitting on. She walked over to the counter, where the letter was sitting and looked at it, but not seeing much. There was only one thing standing out to her; the return address.

'_San Francisco State Penitentiary.' _


	8. The Edges of a Burning Envelope

Chapter Eight ;

The Edges of a Burning Envelope

Sara stood in the hallway that lead to her bedroom. She was watching Dani stare down at the envelope. She crossed her arms, not wanting to know what was inside of it. Sara hadn't spoken to her mother since she was put in jail. She had never visited her because the foster families she had lived with had always said her mother was a bad influence. They never wanted Sara around her, so she never had the chance to see her. Eventually Sara went off to university, and her mother just, wasn't a part of her life. Her mother was non-existent, Sara had almost forgotten about her.

Dani stared down at the letter, her fingers stroking the edge of the envelope. She felt tears prickling at the back of her eyes, wanting to intrude and fall along Dani's cheeks, and to show her emotion towards her mother. The droplets of vitreous fluid begged to appear, but Dani pushed the tears away. She glanced behind her, and saw that Sara was back in the kitchen. Dani pulled her hand away from the letter, slightly ashamed. Sara walked slowly towards her sister and gave her a hug, and the tears in Dani's eyes broke through.

Moments passed, and the room was silent. The whole apartment was silent. Sara pulled back from the hug, and looked down at Dani's tear-streaked face. "Sit," Sara said softly, "We'll see what it says." Dani nodded lightly and hopped up onto one of the stools around the island. Sara picked up the letter and sat on a stool on the other side of the island. She placed the letter in between the two of them, and they both stared at it.

"It's from Mom," Dani stated. "Isn't it?" Somehow, Sara couldn't get the words out, she wasn't sure whether to let Dani read the letter, or not. She feared what was written on the paper inside. She wanted Grissom to be there, to guide her, to give her advice, he was always good for that. Unfortunately, he still had paperwork to do, so he was sitting in his office at the lab. If Dani hadn't already seen the letter, Sara would have read it and decided for herself if she wanted Dani to read it or not. Now Dani was right in front of her, waiting to hear the contents of the envelope.

"Yes… yes Dani… it is," Sara choked out. Dani glanced up at Sara's worried face for a brief moment before looking back down at the envelope. Sara moved her hand to the top of the island, where it rested for a moment, it was itching closer and closer to the folded piece of paper.

Dani was officially bored of staring at an envelope, so she simply picked up the letter without a glance at Sara. She made a tear on the side and took out the paper inside the envelope.

"Dani, can I see it first?" Sara asked, in a slightly demanding tone. Dani looked up, and passed the folded piece of paper to Sara. Sara un-folded it and read the note quickly. Dani watched as her face got more worried and more worried as she read more of the letter. "Our mother isn't doing well, so they've taken the consideration of letting us know and bringing up the suggestion of us visiting her," Sara explained. "When Grissom and I adopted you, I guess the prison figured out where I was," she said coldly.

"They didn't know where you were before…?" Dani asked. Sara shook her head, she had disappeared from the prison's eye. They must have been keeping a watch on where Dani lived, so that they knew who inform once Laura Sidle had died, and who to charge the funeral bills to. Then when Dani had been adopted by Sara Sidle, which must have brought up some suspicion, and the prison figured out where Sara was.

"I'm going for a shower," Sara said softly before getting up and leaving the room.

She had already walked away, and hadn't heard Dani whisper, "I want to go see her."


	9. The Phantom of the Opera

Chapter Nine ;

The Phantom of the Opera

Sara and Grissom were staring at a red curtain, waiting for it to move and reveal the beginning of the play they were about to watch. They were beginning to become impatient, they were anxious to see Dani on stage. It seemed the curtain would never move.

Catherine walked down the aisle in between rows of chairs. She looked across the seats and saw the backs of two familiar heads. She walked down the aisle some more, then turned down a narrow path between two rows of chairs. She tripped over someone's feet and sighed.

"Sorry," the man said. Catherine glanced at him and watched his eyes travel over her, she noticed that he was checking her out. This ticked Catherine off.

"You should be!" She said coldly at him, then kept walking. She let herself fall into a chair beside Sara. Both Grissom and Sara turned to the blonde woman, and could clearly see she was stressed. Catherine looked up and noticed her co-workers were watching her.

"Yes?" Catherine asked harshly. Grissom and Sara both looked away as soon as she spoke. There was silence for a few minutes.

"How do you think they'll do?" Sara asked and turned to Catherine. The question was left un-answered, since as soon as the question had left Sara's mouth, the curtain rose.

A boy was speaking in a rather quiet tone. The backdrop was grey, and the stage was eerie. A few people were gathered around a large object that had a sheet overtop of it. It was quiet, except for the boy's quiet voice. It was an auction. The scene stayed soft for a few minutes, until a shy instrument started to play. A boy who was sitting in a wheelchair had just bought a music box.

"Now for Lot 666…" The auctioneer said, his voice was slightly louder, but not much. Two boys were standing on either side of the large covered object. The auctioneer's voice was growing stronger and stronger. The sheet was pulled off of the object quickly to reveal a chandelier that lit up within a second of the sheet being swept off. The chandelier started to rise to the ceiling and the band started to play the overture to Phantom of the Opera loudly.

The chandelier danced and sparkled as it reached the ceiling. The audience was staring up at it. Suddenly the bright lights shone on the stage, and there was a different backdrop. Now it was brighter, and not grey. An actress walked on stage and started singing opera music. As the band started to play, people came rushing out onto the stage. Some were singing, some were dancing. Dani was in amongst the dancers. She twirled around to the beat of the music, along with the other dancers. Catherine's eyes were searching for her own daughter, her gaze came to a dead stop when she saw that Lindsay was the lead dancer.

--

"Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye," Dani sang. Her voice traveled across the stage and to the back of the auditorium. The high notes echoed, and she heard herself singing. She was shaking. Dani stared out at the audience, but she couldn't see Sara.

--

Now, Lindsay was in Dani's room. Dani had just told Lindsay about the Angel of Music.

"Christine you must have been dreaming, stories like this can't come true, Christine you're talking in riddles, and it's not like you," Lindsay sang to her.

--

Now, Lindsay had left the room. Adam, who was playing as Raoul, had come and gone. The room slowly turned cold. The lights slowly faded, and the backdrop was grey. Christine, who was actually Dani, looked around, and waited for a voice to thrust itself into the room.

Sara recognized as soon as it bursted into the room. "Insolent boy! This slave of fashion basking in your glory," Chris sang. His voice was intimidating, and strong. The way the Phantom's voice was supposed to be. Sara smiled to herself, and felt proud of Dani, Chris and Adam. "Ignorant fool! This brave young suitor, sharing in my triumph," He kept singing. Dani's eyes traveled around the room, searching for the Phantom.

"Angel, I hear you. Speak, I listen… stay by my side, guide me," Dani sang. "Angel, my soul was weak. Forgive me… enter at last, Master."

"Flattering child, you shall know me, see why in shadow I hide, look at your face in the mirror, I am there, inside," Chris sang as he appeared behind the mirror. Dani turned and looked, she seemed in a daze. "Come to me, Angel of Music," Chris sang. Adam walked onto the stage and heard Chris' voice, and began to knock on the door leading to Dani's room. Dani seemed oblivious to the sound though, because she was more interested in the Phantom singing. Dani reached her hand out, and Chris took it, pulling her into the mirror. They both disappeared from view as Adam finally got into Dani's room. The theme of Phantom of the Opera played, and the curtain dropped.

--

Now, the Phantom came out of a tent, masquerading as Don Juan. He began to sing, "You have come here, in pursuit of your deepest urge. In pursuit of that wish, which 'til now has been silent, silent…"

Dani glanced back at him, then looked away.

"I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge. In your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me. Now you are here with me, no second thoughts, you've decided, decided…"

Now the Phantom began to walk closer to Dani. "Past the point of no return, no backward glances, our games of make believe are at an end. Past all thought of "if" or "when", no use resisting. Abandon thought and let the dream descend," he continued singing. "What raging fire shall flood the soul?" As he sang, he put his arms around Dani and she closed her eyes.

Dani waited for her cue to cut in, then she started singing. After she sang her part, both of their voices joined together and sang, "Past the point of no return, the final threshold, the bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn. We've passed the point of no return…"

Police and Raoul watched as they realized it was the Phantom who was Don Juan. Then Chris started singing gently, "Say you'll share with me on love, one lifetime… Lead me, save me from my solitude…" He took a ring off of his finger and slowly put it on Dani's. "Say you want me with you, here beside you… Anywhere you go let me go too. Christine, that's all I ask of…"

The Phantom didn't get to finish singing, because Dani had pulled his mask off, revealing to the audience his scarred face. The Phantom swept his cape around Dani and ran off stage. Then chaos ensued. Actors were running onto the stage, there were screams coming from all directions. The Phantom had struck again.


	10. The Underlying Problem

Chapter Ten;

The Underlying Problem

"I didn't do anything wrong! I don't understand why you're mad at me!" Dani said, her voice was slightly raised and it wasn't the normal soft pitch her voice usually was. It was louder, stronger, and trying to win.

Adam's voice was just as loud, but slightly stronger. "That's half the reason I'm mad! You didn't notice what you did!"

"If you told me, I would know," Dani said more harshly then her other words.

Adam didn't reply, he just put his hands in his pockets and stared away from Dani. He avoided the look she was giving him, because he knew it would only make him feel guilty. Dani leaned against the wall of the drama room. She had a hunch about what Adam was riled up about, but she wanted him to admit it.

A few silent minutes passed. Dani rolled her eyes and looked at Adam, he was still avoiding her eyes. She let out a sigh, "Sara and Grissom are coming to take me home soon," she said. Adam finally looked over at her eyes; they weren't mad like he had expected, they were desperate. Desperate eyes that simply wanted answers.

Adam bit the side of his cheek nervously. His eyes stared down at the ground again. "Then you better go…" He said in a whisper that Dani could barely hear. When he looked at her eyes now, they were disappointed.

"Fine, if that's what you want," she said in a soft tone before leaving the room, leaving Adam alone with his thoughts.

--

Sara watched as Dani got out of the car and stepped onto the apartment building's parking lot. Dani walked across the lot and into the building before either Grissom or Sara had even got out of the car. Sara looked over at Grissom to see if he noticed, she knew something was wrong. He was looking back at Sara, with a slightly confused expression. He raised an eyebrow for a moment, showing curiosity towards Dani's problem, before getting out of the car and walking into the building.

Dani had left the door to the apartment unlocked for Sara and Grissom. Sara walked in after Grissom. She glanced briefly around the apartment, before slipping off her shoes. She figured that as soon as Dani had entered the apartment, she had gone off to her room. Sara was slowly edging towards Dani's room. Grissom had noticed this, and knew that not many things would drag her away from trying to find out what was wrong with her younger sister.

Grissom, who was in the kitchen, swung around the island and linked arms with Sara on his way to the living room space. He sat down on the couch, and Sara reluctantly sat down too. She looked at him with a slightly frustrated expression.

"She obviously wants to be alone," Grissom stated. Sara sighed lightly and rested her head on Grissom's shoulder. Her curiosity was bugging her, but Grissom was right. If she locked herself up in her room, without saying a word to anyone, she obviously wanted some time on her own.

--

Sara's eyes opened slowly. She lifted her head to see Grissom sleeping beside her. She got up off the couch and walked into the kitchen to check the time. The clock on the microwave glowed 12:31. Sara knew it was late, but a part of her still wanted to check on Dani. She walked down the hall and opened Dani's bedroom door slowly. She peered into the bedroom to see a little girl laying in the dark, staring up at the ceiling.

Sara took a few steps into Dani's room and sat on the end of her bed. Dani's eyes didn't leave the spot on the ceiling that she was staring at. "Hey…" Sara said softly. Dani kept silent. Sara knew that Grissom was right, Dani wanted to be alone. She got up and headed towards the door, deciding that giving Dani her space was a good idea.

Before she could leave the room, Dani spoke, "I want to go see Mom."


	11. Mind Games

Chapter Eleven;

Mind Games

Dani opened her eyes and let them wander out the window. She watched other cars pass by them. She sat up and stretched, hoping that she had fallen asleep for most of the trip to San Francisco. Dani looked over at Sara, who was sitting in the passenger seat. Sara looked very tired, and like she was about to fall asleep. Dani could tell that she didn't want to though, it was the slight annoyed look in her face, and she didn't want to sleep.

"Are we there yet?" Dani asked. It seemed to startle both Sara and Grissom. Sara turned to look at Dani.

"Almost, about another half hour," Sara answered with a little smile. Dani knew that if Sara could have avoided the trip here, she would have.

It wasn't that Sara didn't want to go. It was that she was unsure of going. There was a nervous feeling in her stomach, and she didn't like it.

About forty-five minutes went by, and they stopped at a hotel for the night. Dani didn't sleep. The hotel bed was very comfortable, but she was worried, excited, and anxious about tomorrow. She didn't know what to expect, so her mind traveled and different scenarios went through her mind. She wondered what her mother would look like now.

The sun started to poke through the curtains that hung from the window. Dani rolled over and lifted her head to read the clock sitting on the little table in between the bed she was sleeping in and Grissom and Sara's. She sat up, and looked over at Grissom and Sara. From what she could see, they were both sleeping. She didn't notice that Grissom was awake.

Grissom was worried over what might happen at their visit to Laura Sidle. He worried about the two women in his life that he loved.

--

During the car ride to San Francisco State Penitentiary, Dani was shaking. She was too nervous to speak. She had been excited to see her mother again since Sara had told her that they could take a few days to make a trip to go see her, but now she was scared.

"Sara… you knew her… well, b-better… I mean, she was actually a m-mother… you…" Dani started, trying to get her thoughts out of her head. There was a question she wanted to ask Sara in there somewhere, it was just jumbled up between all her thoughts.

Sara turned around and just smiled at her little sister. She understood that Dani was nervous, after all, Sara felt the same way. She did feel a bit better today, because of the conversation her and Gil had the night before about the situation. Gil hadn't said much on the matter when Sara decided that they could go to San Francisco, and she was eager to hear his opinion. Sara learned, during the talk with Grissom, that his point of view was; if Dani felt she was ready to see her mother, then they should let her.

Over the time that Grissom knew Dani, he had learned a few things about her. He had analyzed her quite thoroughly, actually. He knew that if they had deprived Dani of the experience of seeing her mother again, she would be forever wondering what it would have been like. She would probably be able to be consumed for hours by simply going over what could have happened in her mind, she probably had already done so.

Dani sat down in a secure room, beside Sara. She looked around, noticing that she was already inside the jail. In between was a complete blank. A woman with long, brown hair draped in her face was lead into the room. She was sat in a chair across from Dani and Sara. There was a long silence.

Dani looked from Sara to her mother.

Sara looked from her mother to Dani.

Laura just kept her head down.

And no one spoke.

"Mom?" Dani asked ever so quietly. It was barely audible, and her voice was shaking. Laura looked up, long pieces of hair in her face, it looked like she had been crying. Her eyes traced over Dani, she hadn't expected her to be a teenager already. Her eyes then wandered to Sara, but they stayed fixated on her eyes.

Sara smiled lightly, "Hi mom." Then her smile faded. She didn't like seeing her mother like this.

"I'm a horrible mother," Laura stated, finally speaking.

Dani didn't say anything.

"It wasn't your fault," Sara said. "You did… what you had to."

"That is not an excuse for tearing our family apart," Laura said, beginning to sob.

"Mom…" Sara started, but she didn't know what she wanted to say. Laura turned her attention to Dani.

"You must think I'm a horrible person," Laura said in between sobs.

Dani shook her head quickly, "N-no, I-I don't think that." Tears started to form in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. You have no idea how much I've thought about what I did, and how much I want to take it back," Laura said.

"Would you rather things to continue the way the had been?" Sara asked her mother. Laura's eyes shifted to her older daughter.

"There were other ways to handle the situation," Laura retorted coldly. She turned back to Dani. "Not all families end up like this, Dani, ours is just a little different," she said with tears in her eyes.

"Why are you trying so hard to protect her?" Sara butted in.

Laura's eyes again shifted to her older daughter. "Because I haven't done anything all these years, and she _needs_ to be protected."

"What about Sara?" Dani asked, she seemed confident, and her voice was strong.

"Sara is fine, she has learned to fend for herself. She had to deal with everything from her childhood…" she stopped herself before revealing anything else, "and she's still here." Laura's eyes were fixed upon Sara.

"I've had enough," Sara said finally, as she got up from her seat.

"_Dani, wake up. Dani, Open your eyes."_

"_What?"_

"_Dani, wake up."_

"No…"

"_Dani, you have to open your eyes."_


	12. Reality

Chapter Twelve;

Reality

Dani opened her eyes to see a blurry room around her. She wiped her eyes, and noticed that she had been crying. The first thing she saw was a worried Sara, sitting beside her. The brunette didn't say a word, but her eyes were scaring Dani, they were so very worried. The little girl looked around the room, noticing a dark red rug, two large bookcases, and beige curtains.

"What happened?" Dani choked out. Sara reached over and squeezed Dani's hand. After a pause, Dani spoke again. "What happened to mom?"

Sara's mouth dropped, staring at the little girl. Dani didn't believe that Sara could look more worried, but she was proven wrong.

"Are we still in San Francisco?" Dani asked. She looked around, noticing a lady sitting at her desk, simply watching Dani. Sara looked at the lady with desperate eyes.

"It's not…" Sara started, but her voice cracked and didn't want to keep going.

"I'm afraid so…" The lady said. Sara looked back at Dani.

"What's going on?" Dani asked, "Sara, where are we?"

The lady stood up from her desk and walked towards Dani, taking a seat in a chair beside the couch Dani was sitting on.

"Dani, you were dreaming…" Sara said, tears forming in her eyes.

Dani shook her head. "No, it wasn't. It was real. Dreams don't feel like that!"

"It wasn't exactly a dream, it was a hallucination," The lady said.

Dani looked at the lady and shook her head. "No, it was real! We went and visited mom!" Dani argued, looking at Sara.

"I haven't heard from mom in years, Dani," Sara said quietly.

Dani's mind was racing. She didn't know what was happening. "No, we got a letter… from the jail! It said that we should visit her because she was sick."

Sara shook her head. "That… never happened."

Dani had figured out by now that the lady was a psychologist. "What's happening?" She asked the shrink.

"You've made up your own reality," She answered.

Dani took a breath. "So what is real?"

"To find out what is real, we must take out what is fake," Grissom said, speaking up for the first time. Dani's head turned quickly, she hadn't noticed that he was in the room.

Tears fell down Dani's cheeks. "I want to talk to Adam," she said quietly. Grissom and Sara looked at each other, then at Dani.

"What?" Sara asked.

Dani looked up at Sara. "I want to talk to Adam… my best friend?"

Sara opened her mouth slightly, took a breath, then spoke, "Dani… what do you mean?"

Dani let out a laugh. "Do you mean to tell me that I made him up too?"

Sara shook her head. Grissom spoke before Sara could give Dani an explanation. "When the both of you were kidnapped… he… didn't make it," Grissom said softly.

Dani shook her head. "No… no… he did… he was alive… he got rescued before me! Grissom… you saved him!"

Grissom shook his head lightly. He didn't want to force what happened on Dani, all they could do was tell her the truth, and see if she believed it.

"What about all the times I saw him after it happened then?" Dani asked.

"It wasn't real," The psychologist said softly.

Dani shook her head and began to sob. "What… about… the play?"

"Phantom of the Opera?" Sara asked. Dani looked up and nodded.

"What about it?" Grissom asked.

"Adam was in it," Dani said breathlessly.

Sara shook her head. "No… your friend Chris was," Sara replied.

"Adam was too," Dani repeated.

"I'm sorry Dani," Grissom said quietly. Dani looked up and smiled weakly at Grissom. She didn't know what was happening. She didn't feel real. Her life was an entire lie. She didn't know the difference between what was real and what she had made up. She didn't know when she began to hallucinate and make her own alternate reality. She doubted that anyone else did either.

Dani turned to the psychologist. "When did this start?" She choked out, tears falling as she spoke.

The psychologist looked down at her notes, which were in a notebook on her lap. "I would guess that they started after the kidnapping-"

"Which one?" Dani cut in.

"The second one," She answered. "To cope with the loss of your friend-"

"Best friend," Dani cut in again.

"To cope with the loss of your… best friend, your mind changed how you saw the kidnapping, and then changed reality completely," she explained.

The psychologist kept talking, mostly to Grissom and Sara, but the only thought that went through Dani's mind was:

'_I'm not real.'_

THE END


End file.
